Page 28 of Nightfire

“Down Unca Mike,” she ordered. She walked over to Chloe, held out a small hand and said, “How do?”

Merry was nothing if not well-behaved, which was all Nicole’s doing. If it were for Sam’s paternal discipline, Merry would behave as if raised by wolves. As it was, she was a perfect little lady.

Chloe reached down a hand, smiling. “How do you do, Merry? It’s very nice to meet you.”

Merry studied Chloe’s face, then did something unusual. She leaned up against Chloe’s leg and held on to her, looking up. “Aunt Chloe,” she said.

It was quite a picture, so beautiful Mike took a snapshot in his head, knowing he’d be taking it out often. A beautiful young woman, with a beautiful blonde baby in her arms and a beautiful dark-haired child holding on to her.

Everyone felt it, felt the power of it. Certainly Mike did, like a blow to the heart. Harry and Ellen and Gracie, Sam and Nicole and Merry—they now had, forever more, someone else in their circle to love.

Merry had been studying Chloe’s face, a small frown scrunching her face. She looked at him then back at Chloe. “Aunt Chloe, are you Unca Mike’s wife?”

I wish. The words nearly came out of his mouth, he felt it so powerfully. Like a sharp blow to the chest. Because for an instant he could see it, he could feel it.

Chloe, his wife. Surrounded by their children.

She bent down to Merry. “No, darling, I’m Uncle Harry’s sister.” She smoothed her hand over Merry’s ponytail. “And now your aunt.”

“Well,” Nicole said shakily. Her eyes glistened. “I think it’s time to eat. Chloe—do you need help?” Considering she was holding one child and another child was holding her.

“No.” Chloe smiled. “I’m good.”

Mike walked into the big dining room with her, Merry still clinging to her. He understood Merry completely, he wished he could lean up against Chloe, absorb some of that serenity.

“Oh!” Chloe stopped at the threshold to the dining room. Manuela had done them proud. Sam and Nicole’s dining table was enormous, a shiny mahogany polished so brightly the lit candles were perfectly reflected upside down. “How beautiful.”

It was. There were candles in tall silver holders and small vases of cut flowers among about a thousand serving trays of food, steaming hot and smelling delicious.

Nicole clapped her hands. “Okay, Chloe you sit here, Ellen here…”

“Mommy!” Merry’s voice rang out. “Me next to Aunt Chloe!”

Nicole blinked because Merry always wanted to sit next to daddy, who never corrected her table manners.

“Me, too,” Mike said quickly, before the seats next to Chloe ran out. No way was he sitting across the table from her. “I want to sit next to her, too.”

“Here.” Ellen bent over Chloe, arms out. “Let me take Gracie. I’m used to eating with her in my arms.”

“Sure.” Chloe turned, holding a blanket-wrapped Gracie out to her mother. Gracie woke up with a little snuffle and after a few false starts, cranked up the engine and started wailing. Ellen rocked her gently, crooning a soft lullaby.

The wails grew louder.

“Honey.” Harry put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Let me try.”

“Okay.” Looking worried, Ellen gently handed Gracie over to her husband. The wails grew louder, positively heartbreaking.

Chloe bit her lips, opened her mouth, closed it.

Gracie turned her head away from the pacifier, the wails as loud as a siren.

“Could I—” Chloe looked at Harry and Ellen. “Could I try to calm her down?”

Puzzled, Harry said, “Sure,” and gently transferred the bundle back to Chloe.

Gracie stopped crying as if a switch had been thrown.

“Wow,” Mike said.